


Chained Together

by GaleWrites



Category: The Zodiac Trial (Visual Novel)
Genre: 2 Characters Previously Stranded Together Can't Go Back To Normal; Can't Function W/out Each Other, Age gap (both properly adults), Asexual A Doesn't Pursue B Because Insecurity (+Busy Trying Not To Get Killed); Pining Is Mutual, Belligerent Romantic Tension, F/M, Non-stereotypical ace, Pair with painful—& sexually tense—history has bitter argument in inappropriately public setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29018856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaleWrites/pseuds/GaleWrites
Summary: A couple weeks after the events of the Zodiac Trial, Snake has a proposition for Dragon and things get messy
Relationships: Snake/Dragon
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5
Collections: Bulletproof 20/21





	Chained Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ashling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashling/gifts).



> Hi, this is probably the first Zodiac Trial fic on Ao3! This game is incredibly new, and it's got such great character development it was screaming for fic for an exchange like Bulletproof.
> 
> Mild spoilers in the sense that it reveals that neither of these two die in the True Ending and some other vague references to spoilery events. This fic shouldn't seriously spoil anything, though.
> 
> If you want to check it out, it's on Steam for $11.24 USD at the time of posting. It's well worth the price.

Snake had never expected to be confined even once, let alone three separate times. He had certainly never expected to find himself attached to a motley crew of people mostly far younger than him, but it seemed that life-and a certain rogue kidnapper-had other ideas.

He didn’t miss the chaos, the uncomfortable metal collars, the constant fear of death, or the badly constructed games. He didn’t even miss the excitement, the adrenaline, the way his whole brain lit up with the puzzle and the need to survive. He’d deliberately chosen the quiet life of a teacher and an artist for a reason, after all   
  
What he found he missed the most was a certain violent, foul mouthed woman he’d been chained next to for weeks. They drove each other crazy every minute of every day, but her drive and energy and passion inspired him. Going home to his own apartment after all was said and done, he found himself drawing her, painting her, sculpting her, doodling her in the margins of his lesson plans. She was beautiful and vivid, and his home and his life felt empty without her yelling at him for getting in her space or gloating when she scored better than him at scrabble (no matter how many times he told her he was not an English teacher, she still found it an accomplishment).

Despite Mouse’s assurance that his work was important, he knew that  _ she _ was doing more. She had disbanded her gang and formed a community organization, helping neglected and underprivileged neighborhoods. Teaching made a difference, but teaching at an affluent high school was not the biggest impact he could be making.

Telling himself he was doing it for the kids and not also an excuse to see her, Snake sought out Dragon one afternoon a couple days after quitting. She wasn’t an easy woman to find, and Snake had been too proud to ask her for her contact information. He knew the neighborhoods she tended to hang around, but had no luck at all until well into the evening, when he judged it wise to start trying local bars. The third one he tried, he found her, surrounded by other drunk and half drunk tattooed women who clearly knew her well.

It was only at this point that he realized his sweater vest and slacks made him stick out like a sore thumb, but there was nothing to be done at this point about that unless he retreated and tried again another day. He knew Dragon would think less of him if he did, though. She’d never put much weight on any appearance but her own.

She didn’t notice him until he was halfway to her, so caught up in her drinking and her friends, but he knew when she finally saw him. The glare she gave him could peel paint. He smiled, despite himself. Perhaps Mouse had been right about him being childish. There was a certain aura of schoolkid hazing in the way they both delighted in annoying the other.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon froze, glaring at Snake as he approached her. Why would that idiot come here? Was he so overconfident he didn’t realize how dangerous it was for someone like him to come to a dive like this? He could talk up his military experiences all he wanted, but with a broken arm, without a gun he was basically helpless, and she was pretty sure he wasn’t packing. 

She stood, waving off the complaints of her girls, and stalked toward him, still clutching her glass. “What the fuck are you doing here?” She demanded, totally failing to whisper as intended

“Greetings to you as well, Dragon.” He replied, with that smile that always left her unsure if she wanted to punch him in the mouth, kiss him, or both.   
  
“Cut the crap.” Dragon snapped. “This isn’t the sort of place a guy like you can just wander in.”

He raised his eyebrows and glanced around. “I needed to find you, and you do not make it easy to do.”

Dragon groaned. “Haven’t you ever heard of a phone, old man?”

“A phone only works if I have your number. And I’d look in a mirror before calling me old so blithely. There is not as big a gap between the two of us as you’d like to believe.” 

Dragon bolted the last of her drink to avoid saying something stupid. “Fine. You could’ve asked me for it, if you wanted it.”

He looked at her curiously. “At the time, I believe we were both so worn down by our shared captivity that I did not imagine you’d want anything to do with me.”

Dragon stared at him. “God, you’re such a fucking idiot for a smart guy.”

“Am I?” He looked startled. “In what way do you mean?”

She scribbled down her number and put it in his hand. “In so, so many ways. Do yourself a favor and get out of here before someone sees you and decides you’re not fit to be a teacher or some bullshit.”

“I actually quit a few days ago.” He shrugged. “That is part of why I wished to talk to you.”

“What?” Dragon stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“You are doing a truly remarkable thing here. I had hoped that I could work with you on that. Our recent experiences have brought home to me the importance of my work with the younger generation. I could do far more good with a group like yours than I could in a, as you so eloquently put it, ‘den of pampered rich kids.’”

“I am too drunk for this shit.” Dragon ran her hand over her face in frustration. “I could’ve sworn you just told me you quit your cushy job to try and come work for  _ me _ .”

“With you. Not for you. But… effectively, yes. You heard correctly.”

If Dragon didn’t know better, she would have been sure Snake was nervous. Snake  _ never _ got nervous. She must’ve been drunker than she thought. There was no reason for the man who’d never appeared less than calm and collected, even waking up for the second and third times after being kidnapped, in the face of death, even while facing death with a broken arm, to be nervous now, asking her if she’d work with him.

She should be the nervous one. She’d put the distance between them on purpose, partly out of shame for having broken his arm, partly out of pride, and partly because she knew she’d never have a shot with him and she refused to face down the imminent rejection. They were too different, they lived in different worlds, and the only reason a respectable man like him would want to get involved with her was the one thing she had no interest in providing.

“Uh. Well, what do you think you’d be doing? We don’t really go to your side of the tracks, you know.” Dragon asked, trying to hide her confusion.

“I thought perhaps there would be a need for someone who could help people who dropped out of school get their diplomas and find ways to seek higher education if they so desired. There are good community colleges, trade schools, and many other opportunities here that I could help people find and prepare for.”

Dragon was silent for a long moment. It was a very good idea, and she wouldn’t have been afraid to admit it, except that this would mean they’d be working together. Every day, probably. She wanted that too badly, she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to lean into it. The world had felt so wrong without him in it, she wasn’t used to allowing herself to need anyone that badly. Especially not like  _ this. _

Snake sighed. “I can see you’d prefer not to work with me. I can understand that. We could work out an arrangement where we would operate independently most of the time.”

“Don’t. Don’t get all on your dignity like that.” She growled. “It was a good idea, I was just considering how to go about it.”

“Ah, of course.” Snake replied, not bothering to pretend to believe her. “I shall wait then. I know giving the idea some thought may take a while.”

“It wouldn’t, if you weren’t the most obnoxious man I’d ever met!” Dragon retorted, glaring.

“Ah, resorting to base insults now. Why would I ever expect anything more from a simplistic woman like yourself.”

“What the  **_fuck_ ** is that supposed to mean?” Dragon was yelling, and now she noticed how many of the other people in the very crowded bar were staring.

Snake glanced at the crowd. “Perhaps I should not have troubled you during your downtime.”

Dragon was too mad and too drunk to care about a little thing like a couple dozen people staring. “No, don’t weasel out of this. Answer the damn question.”

“Very well.” Snake adjusted his glasses. “You are a creature of passion and habit. Things that I actually find quite admirable, but that do not always serve you well. Nothing serves everyone well all the time, of course, no particular judgement of you is implied.

“Damn right I’m passionate. What about it?” Dragon had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was passionate in all ways except one. No matter how much Snake riled her up, even he couldn’t incite that crucial sort of passion in her.

“You act on your emotions more than logical thought.” Snake shrugged. “This means you are capable of incredible things. It also seems to mean you are incapable of having a civil conversation with me due to your disgust. It was impolite of me to try to insert myself into your life like this.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “Remember what I said about you being an idiot?” Dragon told him, punching him lightly in the uninjured arm.

Snake seemed to be entirely at a loss. “What?”

“God, when you miss the mark, you really fucking miss it. Let's find a quieter bar, you can buy me a drink, and we can talk this all over.” Dragon smirked at him

“I… I’m sorry, are you propositioning me?” Snake asked, blushing

“Nope. I don’t do that shit. I’m cutting the crap and asking you out.” She was nervous as hell, but she hid it behind a cocky smile.

“And what, exactly, is the difference between the two?” Snake asked carefully. “I’m not sure I’m clear on the distinction.”

“I’ll date you, but I don’t fuck.” Dragon replied, daring him to object.

“Ah, is that all?” Snake offered her his arm. “In that case, I would be delighted to buy you a drink.”


End file.
